Snapchat’s next trick: More dancing hot dogs, but as ads

Snapchat just turned on another money maker.

The app launched sponsored 3D world lenses on Thursday. Now, brands can create augmented reality ads within the popular teen app. These can be characters like Snap’s homegrown star “the dancing hot dog” or other objects.

For Snap, the move is another way they are hoping to bring in more money as they face increased pressure from investors and public markets. Augmented reality has been one of Snap’s big bets, starting with face filters and growing to AR experiences users can put in their surroundings via the app.

“The Dancing Hot Dog was viewed more than 2 billion times on Snapchat — a testament to how much our community loves amazing augmented reality experiences inside the camera. Now, you can create yours,” reads a blog post on the update.

Snap’s launch partners for the new ads are Warner Bros on Blade Runner and Bud Light with a 3D vendor:

Image: snap

Snap has been able to prove that its young users like augmented reality. The puppy dog lens has had more than 7,000 years of “total play time,” according to Snap Chief Strategy Officer Imran Khan onstage at Advertising Week New York.

Snap also touted new statistics on Thursday to further prove its worth. Snapchat’s community of 173 million daily active users take more than 3 billion snaps per day, on average.

But it’s still up for debate whether these experiences are worth it for advertisers. The company released some new case studies on campaigns with lenses as part of Thursday’s announcement.

“As you can see, a Lens isn’t just a toy — it’s a tool to drive consideration, purchase intent, and other business objective,” the blog post reads.